Creedence Clearwater Revival

Unquestionably one of the greatest American rock bands, Creedence Clearwater Revival is best known for their unique blend of swamp rock, roots and blues, as popularized in such unforgettable hits as “Proud Mary” and “Born on the Bayou.”

Although their songs evoked the raw sound of the rural South, Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and brothers Tom and John Fogerty actually hailed from El Cerrito, California, where the four began playing music together as teenagers

By the mid-1960s, the group had signed to Berkeley’s Fantasy Records, where they honed their skills on the road and in the studio as The Golliwogs. Everything changed in 1968, however, when the band changed their name to Creedence Clearwater Revival and released their self-titled debut, which included their first hit – a rendition of the Dale Hawkins song, “Susie Q.” An astonishing output followed in 1969 with three follow-up LPs: Bayou Country, Green River and Willy and the Poor Boys, which, with tracks like “Bad Moon Rising,” “Fortunate Son” and “Down on the Corner” would prove the band’s prolific knack for writing hit songs. By 1970, with the release of their fifth studio album, Cosmo’s Factory, CCR was one of the biggest rock bands in the world, with a constant presence on the Billboard charts.

Although the band members were only together for four years under the Creedence Clearwater Revival appellation, they managed to accomplish more than many artists do in their entire career – releasing seven studio albums (five of which were on the Billboard Top Ten), and a seemingly endless string of memorable singles – including nine Top Ten hits). The group also performed a historic headlining set at Woodstock, and toured the world before disbanding in 1972. CCR’s music endures today – still in regular rotation on the radio, and heard regularly in films and TV shows. Having sold over 30 million albums in the US alone, Creedence received a rare Diamond certification from the RIAA in 2016, marking 10 million units in sales for their 1976 compilation album, Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits.

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In 1957, at the height of his success, Little Richard suddenly quit his rock career after a tour of Australia.

He claimed that a vision of the apocalypse came to him in a dream, and that he saw his own damnation. In his authorized biography he tells a story of a plane flight during which the overheated engines appeared in the darkness of night to be on fire. He prayed to God and promised that if the plane landed safely he would change his ways.